μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος χωρίον ὑποδέξεταί σε δρυῶν πλῆρες, καλούμενον Πέλαγος, καὶ ἐκ Μαντινείας ἡ ἐς Τεγέαν ὁδὸς φέρει διὰ τῶν δρυῶν. Μαντινεῦσι δὲ ὅροι πρὸς Τεγεάτας εἰσὶν ὁ περιφερὴς ἐν τῇ λεωφόρῳ βωμός. εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἐς ἀριστερὰν ἐκτραπῆναι θελήσειας, σταδίους τε ἥξεις μάλιστά που πέντε καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Πελίου θυγατέρων ἀφίξῃ τοὺς τάφους· ταύτας φασὶν οἱ Μαντινεῖς μετοικῆσαι παρὰ σφᾶς, τὰ ἐπὶ τῷ θανάτῳ τοῦ πατρὸς ὀνείδη φευγούσας.
ὡς γὰρ δὴ ἀφίκετο ἡ Μήδεια ἐς Ἰωλκόν, αὐτίκα ἐπεβούλευε τῷ Πελίᾳ, τῷ ἔργῳ μὲν συμπράσσουσα τῷ Ἰάσονι, τῷ λόγῳ δὲ ἀπεχθανομένη. ἐπαγγέλλεται τοῦ Πελίου ταῖς θυγατράσιν ὡς τὸν πατέρα αὐταῖς, ἢν ἐθέλωσιν, ἀποφανοῖ νέον ἀντὶ γέροντος παλαιοῦ· κατασφάξασα δὲ ὅτῳ δὴ τρόπῳ κριὸν τὰ κρέα ὁμοῦ φαρμάκοις ἐν λέβητι ἥψησεν, οἷς ἐκ τοῦ λέβητος τὸν κριὸν τὸν ἑψόμενον ἄρνα ἐξήγαγε ζῶντα·
παραλαμβάνει τε δὴ τὸν Πελίαν κατακόψασα ἑψῆσαι, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκομίσαντο αἱ θυγατέρες οὐδὲ ἐς ταφὴν ἔτι ἐπιτήδειον. τοῦτο ἠνάγκασε τὰς γυναῖκας ἐς Ἀρκαδίαν μετοικῆσαι, καὶ ἀποθανούσαις τὰ μνήματα ἐχώσθη σφίσιν αὐτοῦ· ὀνόματα δὲ αὐταῖς ποιητὴς μὲν ἔθετο οὐδείς, ὅσα γε ἐπελεξάμεθα ἡμεῖς, Μίκων δὲ ὁ ζωγράφος Ἀστερόπειάν τε εἶναι καὶ Ἀντινόην ἐπὶ ταῖς εἰκόσιν αὐτῶν ἐπέγραψεν.
χωρίον δὲ ὀνομαζόμενον Φοίζων περὶ εἴκοσί που σταδίους τῶν τάφων ἐστὶν ἀπωτέρω τούτων· ὁ δὲ Φοίζων μνῆμά ἐστι λίθου περιεχόμενον κρηπῖδι, ἀνέχον δὲ οὐ πολὺ ὑπὲρ τῆς γῆς. κατὰ τοῦτο ἥ τε ὁδὸς μάλιστα στενὴ γίνεται καὶ τὸ μνῆμα Ἀρηιθόου λέγουσιν εἶναι, Κορυνήτου διὰ τὸ ὅπλον ἐπονομασθέντος.
κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐς Παλλάντιον ἐκ Μαντινείας ἄγουσαν προελθόντι ὡς τριάκοντά που σταδίους, παρήκει κατὰ τοῦτο ἐς τὴν λεωφόρον ὁ τοῦ Πελάγους καλουμένου δρυμός, καὶ τὰ ἱππικὰ τὸ Ἀθηναίων τε καὶ Μαντινέων ἐνταῦθα ἐμαχέσαντο ἐναντία τῆς Βοιωτίας ἵππου. Ἐπαμινώνδαν δὲ ἀποθανεῖν Μαντινεῖς μὲν ὑπὸ Μαχαιρίωνος Μαντινέως φασὶν ἀνδρός· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι Σπαρτιάτην λέγουσιν εἶναι τὸν ἀποκτείναντα Ἐπαμινώνδαν, τίθενται δὲ Μαχαιρίωνα ὄνομα καὶ οὗτοι τῷ ἀνδρί.
ὁ δὲ Ἀθηναίων ἔχει λόγος— ὁμολογοῦσι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Θηβαῖοι—τρωθῆναι τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν ὑπὸ Γρύλου· παραπλήσια δέ σφισίν ἐστι καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ τῇ τὸ ἔργον ἐχούσῃ τὸ ἐν Μαντινείᾳ. φαίνονται δὲ οἱ Μαντινεῖς Γρύλον μὲν δημοσίᾳ τε θάψαντες καὶ ἔνθα ἔπεσεν ἀναθέντες εἰκόνα ἐπὶ στήλης ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἀρίστου τῶν συμμάχων· Μαχαιρίωνα δὲ λόγῳ μὲν καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι λέγουσιν, ἔργῳ δὲ οὔτε ἐν Σπάρτῃ Μαχαιρίων ἐστὶν οὐδείς, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ παρὰ Μαντινεῦσιν, ὅτῳ γεγόνασιν ὡς ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθῷ τιμαί.
ὡς δὲ ἐτέτρωτο ὁ Ἐπαμινώνδας, ἐκκομίζουσιν ἔτι ζῶντα ἐκ τῆς παρατάξεως αὐτόν· ὁ δὲ τέως μὲν τὴν χεῖρα ἔχων ἐπὶ τῷ τραύματι ἐταλαιπώρει καὶ ἐς τοὺς μαχομένους ἀφεώρα—ὁπόθεν δὲ ἀπέβλεπεν ἐς αὐτούς, ὠνόμαζον Σκοπὴν οἱ ἔπειτα—, λαβόντος δὲ ἴσον τοῦ ἀγῶνος πέρας, οὕτω τὴν χεῖρα ἀπέσχεν ἀπὸ τοῦ τραύματος· καὶ αὐτὸν ἀφέντα τὴν ψυχὴν ἔθαψαν ἔνθα σφίσιν ἐγένετο ἡ συμβολή.
τῷ τάφῳ δὲ κίων τε ἐφέστηκε καὶ ἀσπὶς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ δράκοντα ἔχουσα ἐπειργασμένον· ὁ μὲν δὴ δράκων ἐθέλει σημαίνειν γένους τῶν Σπαρτῶν καλουμένων εἶναι τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν, στῆλαι δέ εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῷ μνήματι, ἡ μὲν ἀρχαία καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἔχουσα Βοιώτιον, τὴν δὲ αὐτήν τε ἀνέθηκεν Ἀδριανὸς βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ.
τὸν δὲ Ἐπαμινώνδαν τῶν παρʼ Ἕλλησι στρατηγίας ἕνεκα εὐδοκιμησάντων μάλιστα ἐπαινέσαι τις ἂν ἢ ὕστερόν γε οὐδενὸς ποιήσαιτο· Λακεδαιμονίων μὲν γὰρ καὶ Ἀθηναίων τοῖς ἡγεμόσι πόλεών τε ἀξίωμα ὑπῆρχεν ἐκ παλαιοῦ καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται φρονήματός τι ἦσαν ἔχοντες, Θηβαίους δὲ Ἐπαμινώνδας ἀθύμους τὰς γνώμας καὶ ἄλλων ἀκούειν εἰωθότας ἀπέφηνεν ἐν οὐ πολλῷ πρωτεύοντας.
ἐγεγόνει δὲ τῷ Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ μαντεία πρότερον ἔτι ἐκ Δελφῶν πέλαγος αὐτὸν φυλάσσεσθαι· καὶ ὁ μὲν τριήρους τε μὴ ἐπιβῆναι μηδὲ ἐπὶ νεὼς φορτίδος πλεῦσαι δεῖμα εἶχε, τῷ δὲ ἄρα Πέλαγος δρυμὸν καὶ οὐ θάλασσαν προέλεγεν ὁ δαίμων. χωρία δὲ τὰ ὁμώνυμα καὶ Ἀννίβαν ὕστερον τὸν Καρχηδόνιον καὶ πρότερον ἔτι Ἀθηναίους ἠπάτησεν.
Ἀννίβᾳ γὰρ χρησμὸς ἀφίκετο παρὰ Ἄμμωνος ὡς ἀποθανὼν γῇ καλυφθήσεται τῇ Λιβύσσῃ. ὁ μὲν δὴ ἤλπιζεν ἀρχήν τε τὴν Ῥωμαίων καθαιρήσειν καὶ οἴκαδε ἐς τὴν Λιβύην ἐπανελθὼν τελευτήσειν γήρᾳ τὸν βίον. Φλαμινίου δὲ τοῦ Ῥωμαίου ποιουμένου σπουδὴν ἑλεῖν ζῶντα αὐτόν, ἀφικόμενος παρὰ Προυσίαν ἱκέτης καὶ ἀπωσθεὶς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἀνεπήδα τε ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον καὶ γυμνωθέντος τοῦ ξίφους τιτρώσκεται τὸν δάκτυλον. προελθόντι δέ οἱ στάδια οὐ πολλὰ πυρετός τε ἀπὸ τοῦ τραύματος καὶ ἡ τελευτὴ τριταίῳ συνέβη· τὸ δὲ χωρίον ἔνθα ἀπέθανε καλοῦσιν οἱ Νικομηδεῖς Λίβυσσαν.
Ἀθηναίοις δὲ μάντευμα ἐκ Δωδώνης Σικελίαν ἦλθεν οἰκίζειν, ἡ δὲ οὐ πόρρω τῆς πόλεως ἡ Σικελία λόφος ἐστὶν οὐ μέγας· οἱ δὲ οὐ συμφρονήσαντες τὸ εἰρημένον ἔς τε ὑπερορίους στρατείας προήχθησαν καὶ ἐς τὸν Συρακοσίων πόλεμον. ἔχοι δʼ ἄν τις καὶ πλέονα τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐοικότα ἄλλα ἐξευρεῖν.
After the sanctuary of Poseidon you will pass into a place called Pelagus (‘sea’), which is full of oaks, and the road from Mantinea to Tegea leads through the oak wood. The boundary between the Tegean and Mantinean territory is at the circular altar on the high road.
But if you will turn aside to the left from the sanctuary of Poseidon, after just about five furlongs you come to the graves of the daughters of Pelias. The Mantineans say that the daughters of Pelias came to dwell among them to escape the scandal of their father’s death. For when Medea came to Iolcus, she immediately began to plot against Pelias, acting in concert with Jason, though she pretended to be at enmity with him. She promised the daughters of Pelias that if they liked she would make their old father young again. And having killed an aged ram somehow or other, she boiled its flesh in a kettle with drugs, by virtue of which she brought a living lamb out of the kettle. So she got Pelias into her hands to cut him up and boil him, but when his daughters received him back there was not enough of him left to bury. This compelled his daughters to migrate to Arcadia, and here, when they died, mounds were heaped up to mark their tombs. No poet that I ever read mentions their names, but Micon the painter wrote the names Asteropea and Antinoe on their pictures.
There is a place named Phoezon about twenty furlongs distant from these graves. Phoezon is a tomb enclosed by a basement of stone and rising but little above the ground. At this point the road grows very narrow, and they say that the tomb is that of Areithous, surnamed Corynetes (‘club-man’) on account of his weapon. If you go about thirty furlongs along the road that leads from Mantinea to Pallantium you will come to a point where the high road skirts the oak wood of Pelagus. It was here that the cavalry fight took place between the Athenian and Mantinean horse on the one side, and the Boeotian on the other.
The Mantineans say that Epaminondas was killed by Machaerion, a Mantinean ; but the Lacedaemonians allege that it was a Spartan who slew him, though they agree with the Mantineans that his name was Machaerion. The Athenian story, in which the Thebans themselves concur, is that Epaminondas was wounded by Grylus, and so the scene is represented in their picture of the battle of Mantinea. Moreover, it is known that the Mantineans gave Grylus a public burial, and set up a monument with his likeness on it at the spot where he fell, because he was the bravest man in the whole allied army. On the other hand, though the name of Machaerion is on the lips both of Mantineans and of Lacedaemonians, no person of that name has ever received any substantial marks of honour for valour either at Sparta or Mantinea. When Epaminondas received his wound they carried him out of the line of battle. He was still in life. He suffered much, but with his hand pressed on his wound he kept looking hard at the fight, and the place from which he watched it was afterwards named Scope (‘the look’). But when the combat ended indecisively, he took his hand from the wound and breathed his last, and they buried him on the battlefield.
On his grave stands a pillar bearing a shield on which is wrought in relief a dragon. The dragon is meant to signify that Epaminondas was of the race called the Sparti. On the tomb are two slabs : one of them is old, and has a Boeotian inscription ; the other was set up by the Emperor Hadrian, who composed the inscription on it. Of the famous captains of Greece, Epaminondas may well rank as the first, or at least as second to none. For whereas the Lacedaemonian and Athenian generals were seconded by the ancient glories of their countries as well as by soldiers of a temper to match, Epaminondas found his countrymen disheartened and submissive to foreign dictation; yet he soon raised them to the highest place.
Epaminondas had been warned before by an oracle from Delphi to beware of Pelagus (‘sea’). He therefore feared to go aboard a galley or to sail in a merchantman; but it turned out that Providence meant by Pelagus the oak wood of that name, and not the real sea. Similarly Hannibal was afterwards deceived by the identity of names of different places, just as the Athenians had been deceived at an earlier time. For Hannibal was told by the oracle of Ammon that in death he would be covered with Libyan earth. So he hoped to destroy the Empire of Rome, to return home to Libya, and to die of old age at last. But when Flamininus, the Roman, bestirred himself to take him alive, Hannibal threw himself on the protection of Prusias, but being repelled by him he leaped on his horse, and in doing so he wounded his finger with his naked sword. He had not gone many furlongs till the wound produced a fever, and on the third day he died; now the place where he died is called Libyssa by the Nicomedians. Again, the Athenians received an oracle from Dodona bidding them to colonise Sicily ; now this Sicily is a small hill not far from Athens. But they, not understanding the meaning, were lured into foreign campaigns, especially into the Syracusan war. More such instances might be found.
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